On the Campaign Trail, Ted Cruz Avoids Saying Trump’s Name

Senator Ted Cruz kept it positive, delivered his message, but largely avoided talking about the horror at the top of the GOP ticket.

While campaigning with Trump’s running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, in the final week of the race, Cruz argued that Americans need “a Republican” in the White House as well as for the GOP to maintain control of the Senate.

Cruz’s remarks largely resembled his stump speeches from his own presidential campaign and trained fire on Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. He needled Clinton over the FBI’s decision to review new emails that may be related to the investigation of her private email server, and he echoed Trump’s call for a special prosecutor to investigate Clinton.

“This corruption has got to end,” Cruz said at a rally in Prole, Iowa. “And there needs to be a special prosecutor to investigate and prosecute the corruption of Hillary Clinton.”

And this may be the absolute best strategy for Cruz, while playing the part of the reluctant surrogate on the road.

“It’s all about turnout,” he continued later in his speech. “Together, we’re going to keep Republican control of the Senate and we’re going to defeat Hillary Clinton in this presidential election.”

That one is a hard call to make, at this point, but delivering a strong, positive message is what has been sorely lacking from Trump’s entire campaign.

And no, arrogance and bluster are not the same as positivity.

While Cruz would not tout nominee Trump, he praised the conservatism of VP pick, Mike Pence.

“He is someone who today I call my friend, and I very much look forward to calling him Mr. Vice President,” Cruz said.

Cruz was to appear at a second campaign stop with Pence in Portage, Michigan later on Thursday.